The present invention relates to a light system with communication capability.
Advances in computer and wireless communication technology have resulted in convenient access to data for the population. One common wireless technology, IEEE 802.11, is used to provide wireless local area network (WLAN) computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee (IEEE 802). The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent amendments. These standards provide the basis for wireless network products using the Wi-Fi brand name.
To connect to a Wi-Fi LAN, a computer has to be equipped with a wireless network interface controller. The combination of computer and interface controller is called a station. All stations share a single radio frequency communication channel. Transmissions on this channel are received by all stations within range. The hardware does not signal the user that the transmission was delivered and is therefore called a best-effort delivery mechanism. A carrier wave is used to transmit the data in packets, referred to as “Ethernet frames”. Each station is constantly tuned in on the radio frequency communication channel to pick up available transmissions.
A Wi-Fi-enabled device, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet when within range of a wireless network connected to the Internet. The coverage of one or more (interconnected) access points—called hotspots—comprises an area as small as a few rooms or as large as many square miles. Coverage in the larger area may depend on a group of access points with overlapping coverage.
On a parallel note, buildings typically include various systems for controlling conditions inside the buildings, such as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and lighting systems. HVAC systems and lighting systems generally operate independent from one another. For example, a thermostat can be set to control operation of an HVAC system, while a lighting system can be turned on and off using a wall-mounted switch.
At present, building operations can be controlled through wireless transceivers such as Zigbee transceivers. Some of the world's leading utilities, energy service providers, product manufacturers and technology companies are supporting the development of ZigBee Smart Energy. Several other standards groups are also involved with extending the reach of ZigBee Smart Energy to more homes around the world.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,829 discloses a light emitting diode (LED) light bulb that includes plural individual elements as sub-assembly elements of the overall light bulb. Different sub-assembly elements of a lens, a LED printed circuit board, a housing also functioning as a heat sink, a lower housing, and other individual sub-assembly components are utilized. The LED printed circuit board sub-assembly containing the LEDs can also be provided relatively close to a base.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,580,643 discloses an optical data communications receiver for receiving data encoded using optical pulse position, the receiver having an optical signal reception device; a reference signal memory for storing a reference channel response signal; and a correlator coupled to the reference signal memory and to the optical signal reception device for correlating a received optical pulse with the stored reference channel response signal to determine the optical pulse position; an output coupled to the correlator to provide pulse position data for the received optical pulse.
United States Patent Application 20080317475 discloses an LED light and communication system in communication with a broadband over power line communications system. The LED light and communication system includes at least one optical transceiver. The optical transceiver includes a light support having a plurality of light emitting diodes and at least one photodetector attached thereto, and a processor. The processor is in communication with the light emitting diodes and the at least one photodetector. The processor is constructed and arranged to generate a communication signal. The at least one optical transceiver is engaged to a clock, and the clock is in communication with the broadband over power line communications system.
United States Patent Application 20100106306 discloses an LED-based light that can be installed in a conventional light fixture. The LED-based light can include a sensor operable to output a first signal indicative of whether an area of one or more of the rooms is in an occupied state or a non-occupied state, and the LED-based light can also include an LED controller operable to control at least one LED in the light in response to the first signal. Additionally, the LED-based light can include a transmitter operable to output a second signal indicative of whether the area is in the occupied state or the non-occupied state to a building environment regulator.